Flexible tube for conveying and receiving articulate sounds.



No. 735,645. PATENTED AUG. 4, 1903 F. W. WOOD. FLEXIBLE TUBE FOR CONVEYING AND RECEIVING ARTICULATE SOUNDS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 30, 1903.

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No. 735,645. Patented August 4, 1903.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK WV. WVOOD, OF NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO CHARLES CORY dz SON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A FIRM.

FLEXIBLE TUBE FOR CONVEYING AND RECEIVING ARTICULATE SOUNDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 735,645, dated August 1, 1903.

Original application filed August 1, 1902. Serial No. 117,943. Divided and this application filed January 30, 1903. Serial 7 No. 141,161. (No model.)

T MZ whom it may concern: In order to enable others to fully under- Be it known that I, FRANK WV. WOOD, a stand the invention, I will now proceed to decitizen of the United States, residing at Newscribe the same in detail, reference being had port News, in the county of Warwick and for this purpose to the accompanying draw- State of Virginia, have'invented new and useings, in which- 5 ful Improvements in Flexible Tubes for Oon-' Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly in sec- Veying and Receiving Articulate Sounds, of tion, of a telephone apparatus such as shown which the following is a specification. in my aforesaid applications with two of my My present invention relates to flexible improvedsound-conveying tubesfitted there- IO tubes for conveying and receiving articulate to. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of sounds, and is especially adapted for use as a one end or the tubular arm, showing the receiving ear-tube for telephonic apparatus three flexible tubes in position. Fig. 3 is a of the type shown and described in my pendsimilar sectional view showing a slight variing applications for patents, numbered, re- 'ation in the construction of the tubular end 15 spectively, Serial Nos. 117,943 and 118,824, of piece. the former of which this application is a di- Referring now to the drawings, the refervision. ence-numeral 1 designates a casing in which The object of the invention is to provide a is supposed to be located the receiver of the novel andsimple construction of flexible tube telephone with which the flexible tubes 2 com- 20 that may be employed to receive as well as municate, all as more clearly set forth in my to convey articulate sounds and which will pending applications, and while I have electnot be affected by atmospheric conditions ed to show my improved flexible tube as apsuch as exist on vessels at sea and on docks plied to this type of telephone I do not wish or wharves, in which places the telephonic to be understood as limiting myself to this 25 apparatus is more or less exposed to the specific application, as it will-be apparent weather, and which will also-be light, strong that I may use the same in connection with and durable and at the same time a good conother forms of telephonic apparatus, as well servator of sound. as with speaking-tubes and talking devices Briefly and specifically stated, the invengenerally. In the present instance then my 0 tion comprisesa tubular arm having a pendimproved tube comprises a tubular arm or cut portion ofslightly-reduced diameter formmember 3 of elbow formation having an aning an exterior shoulder, said pendent pornular flanged portion 4, an annular shoultion being bored out for a part of its length dered portion 5, and a lateral cylindrical porto provide an interior shoulder and an ear tion 6. The end wall 7 of the casing 1 has 5 or mouth piece of tubular formation having a circular opening therein which is of a size a flared open end provided with a yielding to receive snugly, but so as to allow of its guard and acylindrical extension having exreadily turning therein, the shouldered porterior and interior shoulders similar to those tion 5 of the annular flange 4. A metal ring on the tubular arm, combined with a flexible 8 is mounted upon the cylindrical portion 6 o metallic tube fitted at its opposite ends withof the elbow 3 and is screwed to the said an- 0 in the said pendent portion and extension of molar flange 4, as shown, the said ring8 and the tubular arm and ear or mouth piece, reannular flange 4 forming with the shoulder5 spectively, a flexible tube'of coiled wire snran annular groove, which receives the edge roundingthe said metallic tube and fitting at. portion of the opening in the casing l, the

45 its opposite ends over the aforesaid pendent shoulder 5 being journaled in said opening,

portion and extension, and a non-metallic while the ring 8 and flange 4operate as the flexibletnbe interposed between the said flexiwalls of the groove to prevent lateral play. ble metallic tube and the tube of coiled wire, It will thus be seen that the tubular elbow the whole being combined in the manner and member may be readily rotated to bring the 50 for the purpose hereinafter described. ear or mouth piece in position for use. The 10') of attaching the coiled-wire tube 17.

said tubular elbow member 3 has a pendent portion or extension 9, cylindrical in formation and of slightly-reduced diameter, which affords, in connection with the lower end of the elbow, an exterior shoulder 10, and the said pendent portion is bored out for a part of its length to provide an interior shoulder 12, located about midway between the shoulder 10 and extreme end of the said pendent portion. At the lower end of the flexible tube 2 is a flared earpiece 13, having asimilarcylindrical extension 14 of reduced diameter providing an exterior shoulder 15 and a central bore providing an interior shoulder 16. Extending between the elbow member 3 and the extension 14 of the earpiece is a flexible and resilient tube 17, of coiled wire, which at its opposite ends is fitted over the respective cylindrical extensions 9 and 14 and abuts against the respective shoulders 10 and 15. Within the coiled-wire tube 17 is a thin flexible metallic tube 18, which is inserted at its opposite ends in the extensions 9 and 14 and abuts against the respective interior shoulders 12 and 16. Interposedbetween the tubes 17 and 18 is a rubber or composition tube 19, the opposite ends of which abut against the ends of the extensions 9 and 14. A tube of this construction is both strong and flexible, while at the same time beinga good conservator of sound. In addition the outer tube portion (the coiled tube 17) being resilient, the earpiece will normally be held in contact with the ear of the user without the requirement of its being held in such position by one of the hands of the user, the resiliency of the tube tending to move the earpiece to a normal position. Furthermore, the particular structure of tube shown is such thata movement of the tube in a direction to spread the coils would not affect the tube as a good conservator of sound, the inner tube 18 preserving the continuity of the interior of the tube. The earpiece 13 is provided at its edge portion with an annular enlargement 20, which is surrounded and inclosed by a rubber earguard 21.

In Fig. 3 of the drawings I have shown a slight variation in the construction of the tubular extensions 9 and 14., the object being to provide a better and more reliable means In this figure the numeral 22 designates a tubular extension, which may be the extension on the elbow 3 or that on the earpiece 13, or both. This extension is provided with an exterior spiral groove 23, into which the coiled-wire employ a mouthpiece at the end of the I tube instead of an earpiece, in which case the device would be very useful as a speaking-tube.

What I claim, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a telephone, a casing, a pair of rigid hollow arms connected to opposite sides of the casing and each having a cylindrical portion projecting within the casing, a resilient tube connected to each arm, and an inwardlyfacing earpiece connected to the free end of each tube.

2. In a telephone, a casing, a pair of hollow arms journaled in opposite sides of the casing, a resilient tube connected to each arm, and an inwardly-facing earpiece connected to the free end of each tube.

3. In a telephone, a casing, a pair of 1101- low elbows journaled in opposite sides of said casing, each elbow having a reduced end terminating in an external shoulder, a resilient tube of coiled wire surrounding the reduced end of each elbow and. abutting said shoulder, a flexible lining for each tube, and an inwardly-facing earpiece of rigid material secured to the free end of each tube of coiled wire.

4. In a device of the class described, a casing, a pair of hollow arms journaled in opposite sides of the casing, each arm having an internal and an external shoulder, a resilient tube of coiled wire surrounding and secured to the end of each arm and abutting the external shoulder thereof, a tubular lining of flexible material located within each tube of coiled wire, the end of said tubular lining abutting the said internal shoulder of the tubular arm, and an inwardly-facing earpiece carried by the free end of each tube of coiled wire.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK W. WOOD.

Witnesses:

.T. E. WARREN, G. F. MASON. 

